Honeybee Swarm – Capturing

The first warm days of March trigger honeybees to look around and decide whether to stay in their hive or to follow a new queen into the wild blue yonder. Although the swarm of bees following the queen may number in the thousands, they rarely sting interlopers. They simply cluster around the queen to protect her.

If you see a swarm, it’s good to notify the County Extension Office (1-800-ASKUGA1) or a beekeeper to come and get them before they take up residence in a building wall.

Beekeeper Tom Bonnell shows us how he captures a honeybee swarm. Be sure to read his comments below each photo.

This is a pretty large swarm, maybe 30 thousand plus bees.

Almost touching the ground, just barely had room to slide a box under it.

I work without a suit until I get stung. Have to manicure the branch to fit in the box to get the lid on.

One sting and into the suit. Trying to trim away some of the branches without letting it fall.

Once branches trimmed away I had wife take the loppers and cut the top branch.

Then it’s lay them in the box, put on the lid and take them home to a hive.